Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of biopolymers and biopolymer formulations.
Description of the Background
Athletes in many disciplines rely on gloves to protect their hands but also for providing a better grip. Sports gloves utilize tacky surfaces to allow the athlete to have a better grip. Football players, for example, rely on tacky gloves for better grip of the football. Similarly, goal keepers in soccer teams rely on tacky gloves to have a better grip on the soccer ball, when is most necessary during a game. Other athletes may use the tacky gloves to grip their equipment, e.g., baseball bats, hockey sticks. Existing tacky gloves are expensive and not very durable.
Today, football players of all ages from child leagues to professional leagues use gloves with tacky polymer coatings to enhance their ability to catch the football. These gloves are not only costly, but lack durability—the glove's tack may become reduced after a few days of practice. This reduction in grip occurs due to both the glove collecting dirt, but also due to the coating wearing off of the glove. However, despite the drawbacks, the gloves are still widely used at every level of football.